Decating machine and method



Jan. 17, 1950 G. HAEBERLIN 2,494,808

DECATING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed NOV. 10, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN V ENTOR. 6 90? fz aeerzm Jan. 17, 1950 3. HAEBERLIN 2,494,808

DECATING MACHINE AND METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 10, 1948 38 fa44, 5 4533 v 34 2362' t? y 39/ /I 436i 25 25.2 .3470

.z INVENTOR. Gear e ffaeerlzhz/ Jan. 17, 1950 cs. HAEBERLIN 2,494,808

DECATING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Nov. 10, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet s .1 25(Riva "19 INVENTOR. Gemye Ha e6 e/"Zv'n.

Patented Jan. 17, 1950 iPAJTENi'T -EDECA'I'ING MACHINE -AND: METHGD 10fVirginia .TGeorge; 'Haeberlin, Richmond, Va, rassignor to RichmoiidBieceDyeWorks, Inc., a corporation I. 16JTClaims. 3.21This:invention:aselatesetcmnewaanduseful-rimprovements {in decating lmachine and. method.

Webs 50f textile lmaterial;larezlconventionally subjected to ,acdecatingoperationlwhichimproves ltime, desiuably: .preshninkslthe: same..Decating is a normally carried outtw'ithadecatingmachine in whichv acontinuously tmovingiweb I-Of textile mea aterfial is -.subjected' to-,a. steaming Woperation by transportingwthe same :ibetween Man..endless1y-:

:1 moving blanket. and s-webl carnier rover-1 a steam ichest.Thelsteam.islsuckedlthnoughrthesblanket -.uancllthersgoods,- usually bywayloflr. a vacuum appliedxto the; other side. of zrthensuallyufeltlpadded q steam andair rpetmeable carrier.

Hithertoreusedfideeating;machinesofrtheendless carrier :andeblankettypeghowever, are not salways u too satisfactory:imopetation..lThempermitl-only u a crelativelyl slow: speed:ofemebetrayelthrough ther machine. and jtihQ lfinishsia-ppliedutoethes oodsl :is motconsistently iu-niionm.

*An rimpnovede construction,zsemtorth'tin any: ooogmendingcapplicatiQneSeniahNoaG4l 392afiled J an- :mary15,-.-lfifictprovides'iforna steamlzchestawithcan arcuate face plate anda steam nozzles-orifice itherein;4extending!transverseptosthe:ldirection of "Jxtraveluofotheegoodstioraejectingesteam onto the :r traveling: web. Althoughfthisoimprovementeperemits of :somewhatzxmoreamniionms operational and:better 'ifinishing rreslfltsflli the speed with which a fabric webcan'pbe treated is still relatively low.l-Fliiitliemnor:e,:vpalmtioularly starting"up;spotting of thwgoodseasilyoccurs by reason for thespattei ing ofempletswor: water onto the=blar'rket by reason of partial condensationof steam and the pnopiilsionof the resultant dropletwby the steam *eje'oted from the orifice.

-One object of thepresent'invention comprises "adecating'machinewhichwlll permit" asubstan- --=na11y increased rate ottraVeYof" arweb "of textile material therethrou'gh.

Another object ofithe invention' comprises 1 a""decatingfi;machinersnbstantially :free .fromi spat- "tering 'efiectsof condensationidroplets.

Still another; object oftheiinvention is" a new f'metho'd'for the.decating'of continuouslymoving"websof"textilemateriahforthe'Zdecating'of' continuously moving websoftektilesmateriahin an i'improved' "manner; "permitting Thigh"operational gspeeds.

The f oregoingt: andtstill further 'obj ects of the i inventionwill'beseenfronfthe fOHOWil'lg'f'jdeSClfiP- ition" readi'inroonJunttionv/withtthedrawingsfin which:

(Cl.'26- l-J18.5)

(1;:2 Fig. 1 representaualside View of! a construction win accordancewitlritheeinyention;

"Fig. 2.is afrontyiewof part of theconstizuction shown in Fig.1

mthel finishsandzfeellofathel-goodssandat;the samel =5 Figs 3 is. acrossesectional,renlarged sideview 220 "of; a non-staining"m'etalsuch'asstainless=steeL carries thee-multiple perforations A -*steam .1"chestTis positioned belowthe drum. *"The-endlessly 'movingFfield blanket 8-passes around the "*various guide rolls! and around the 16 erizil'ieryof """thebelt wand-motor d I. A'web of textile magterial I2ispassedat'the'guide wheel' ilwontothe endlessly traveling blanket-13 tobetween blanket B and peripheral padding 50. -Web I 2 travels 30arounddrum hand is *held in' close contact posithas obeenrtoundztnattion over its -entire =surface with the dnmn :pa'dding 5fi-by-thepressure of the blanket ii until it leaves the 1 drum and blanket at"vtlie guide 'roll9b.

specificallyweferrmg toFigs'i Band 41 the steam *ohest 1 comprises*outer housing-i3 :and a pipe-:14 carrying the per-fonational5. "The topof 'the steamchest is provided virith" an arcuate face plate E5 insubstantial' alignmentwith' the curvature ofthedrum l and' exteriding asa lip orapron to beyond the-steam chest-toio1=m 'with the extension andthe sidenpo'rtion "I1 the ancillary chest I "I 8. Side portion l l -issecured 'to the housing 3 of the steam chesthwway-of-the bent' portionI9 ,45 and; screws 20. 'A 'steamandcoridensztte-takefilfi 2 I isprovided adjacent the lower endrof the ancillary chest 18. Side portionllis bentdoack- "Wards to form a 1ip-22 overlapping the arcuate faceplate 16 'in' spaced' relttionthetetofito form 50- *anoutiet slot.

Steam chest 1- carries adjacentthe ot-her -end "ofthe arcuateface'pl'ate lfi an angle membei 23, Tone" arm of-which* for-ms a1i-p'"'26 in spaced relation to the faceplate lfiitadefinewith-its endifipiportionthe steaminozzle-slot 24'. *Perforations 25 are provided forpassing steam from steam chest 7 into space 241) between lip 26 of anglemember 23 and the top of the arcuate plate I6. The nozzle orifice slot24 may be adjusted by the slotted cut-outs 2? and screws 28, permittingupwards and downwards positioning of the angle portion 23. Lip 26 ofangle portion 23 is with its under surface downwardly inclined in adirection at least 90 to the direction of blanket travel and preferablysubstantially tangential to the circumference of the drum to therebyimpart to any steam ejected from nozzle opening 24, a direction awayfrom the blanket and thus away from the moving web of fabric at oradjacent the nozzle.

Gates 29 may be interposed, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and l, in thespace between the arcuate face plate It and the lip 25 of the anglemember 23. to cover or uncover some of the perforations 25 to therebyadapt the width of the nozzle slot area 24 to the width of theparticular fabric web being treated, thereby eliminating wastage ofsteam should such web be narrower than the normal effective steamingwidth of the machine. It is apparent that instead of two such gates onemay be used with equal effect. A drain 30 is provided to remove anycondensate that may have formed in steam chest 1. A conventional tensionarrangement am is provided to keep the endless blanket 8 under tensionso that the blanket will pass around drum I in a relatively tight andsnug fit assuring the fabric web I2 to be held securely and uniformly inposition on the padded periphery of the drum.

In the practical operation of the decating device in accordance with myinvention, the drum is rotated in the direction of the arrow (Figs. 1and 3) and the fabric web I2 is passed onto the blanket 8 at the guideroll 9b, traveling thence around perforate drum I between the paddeddrum periphery and the snugly fitting endless blanket 8. Steam is passedthrough pipe I l and issues through the perforations I into the steamchest 1. Perforations I5 are preferably so arranged that they faceupwardly away from the perforations 25. The steam in chest l ispreferably maintained under a pressure of about 2 to lbs. aboveatmospheric and issues through perforations into space 241) definedbetween lip 26 of angle member 23 and arcuate plate It.

Steam is ejected through the nozzle slot 24 at a relatively high nozzlevelocity and preferably a nozzle velocity of at least 150 feet persecond. The top limit of the velocity of the steam depends inter aliaupon the dimensions of the steaming zone and particularly the lengththereof, and further depends, at least to some extent, upon the suctionforce applied to that portion of the blanket which is in contact withthe steaming zone. Within conventional steaming requirements, however,it is normally desirable that the velocity of the steam jet does notexceed about 1600 feet per second, and within the preferred embodimentof the invention I find it of advantage to use a steam velocity of anorder of magnitude of between 4:00 and 1200 feet per second.

The steam jet issuing from nozzle slot 24 is ejected therefrom in adirection tangential to the path of travel of the blanket 3substantially against arcuate face plate It and thus substantially in adirection slightly away from blanket 8. At the same time th ejectingsteam is in its direction counter to the direction of the travel- Thesegates are slidably movable in and out ing blanket and fabric web carriedthereby, i. e.

counter to the rotation of drum I. Suction is applied in theconventional manner to the inte rior of drum I and the steam is suckedinto the same through the blanket 8 and the fabric web I2, thoroughlypermeating the fabric web. A certain graded balance between the suctionforce of drum I and the ejection velocity of the steam issuing out ofnozzle 24 occurs within the space 2411 defined by the arcuate face plateI6 and the lower surface of the moving blanket 8. In the area nearestthe nozzle slot 24 the velocity of the steam will maintain the same atfirst in approximately the direction of issue, i. e. substantiallytangential to the path of travel of the blanket 8. As the velocity ofthe issuing steam abates with greater distanc from nozzle slot 24, thesuction force of the drum I will make itself more and more felt,together with the counter directional force of rotation of the blanketso that there results a graded suction of steam into the drum fromcomparatively little dry hot steam at a point adjacent the nozzle slot24 to comparatively larger amounts of wet cooler steam farthest removedfrom the nozzle slot 24. The steam at the far end of the steaming zone(blanket entrance end) is substantially wet steam whereas the steam atthe nozzle end of the zone is substantially dry steam, and the wet steamportion of the zone is somewhat cooler than the dry steam portion ofthat zone.

The steam and possible condensate droplets reaching the end of the space24a adjacent the lip portion 22, and which has not as yet been suckedint the drum, passes through the slot 3i defined between the lip portion22 and the arcuate face plate I6. Slight suction of about 2 lbs. belowatmospheric is maintained at the tap pipe 2|, causing the excess steampassing through slot 3| to be drawn into the side chest i3, and togetherwith such condensate as may have formed therein, out through pip 2I.Normally the conditions of suction in drum I, speed of rotation of thedrum, velocity and volume of issuing steam, are so balanced thatcomparatively little steam passes into chest I8 and practically no steamwill issue out of the open-ended sides of space 26a.

Any condensate droplets that may have been formed (especially instarting up) are forced to follow arcuate face plate I6 at high velocityand pass through slot 3| into ancillary chest l8 where condensate andexcess steam is sucked away through pipe 2|.

Specifically referring to Figs. 5 and 6, an alternative embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated. As there shown the endlessly movingcarrier defines a substantially straight path of travel for the blanket8. Accordingly a substantially straight face plate I Go is provided forthe steam chest Ia, having the steam inlet pipe I4 and perforations I5.The flexible, endlessly moving carrier Ia, which may be for instancecomposed of the flexible sheet material 32 (Fig. 6) is provided withmultiple perforations 33 and is guided for endless travel by the guiderolls 34. A suction chest 35, carrying suction pipe 36, is providedabove the lower, sub stantially straight line section of the carrier Ia.The steam chest Ia is mounted below the carrier Ia and the suction chest35. An angle member 23a is provided on the upper portion of chest 1a andforms with one arm the lip 26a, which is slightly bent to an angle ofless than 90 and preferably about and which defines with its length edgeand the substantially straight surface of plate Ifia, a steamnozzle-slot 44. Steam passes under pressure from the pipe I4 throughperforations I5 into chest la, and hence through perforations ZSarto:nozzle fl d l'ffIhei sideirchest 31a carries theibentruppenlipzportionifl toverlappingitheiend of face plate [6a andbeing spacedtaparttthere- :from to*formlan'inletsl'ot i39.r' fipemflrdfsiderchest 31:servesztheiremoval "ofsteamaand condensate.

.f In the practical xop'eration of :theslastlnescribed ilembodiment*ofsrmy invention; a ehdlesslyrmovvzingzblanketsfia moves: infthetriangularipath de- 1:: fined "by: the :guide trolls 3; :i413aaandi4'3b.a

web [:2 axis: passediontotthezcblanketzflw authezguide i rof saidtzone.

" Fabric "roll @4311 and:.is ixcarried alongrtzth u'bstarntiallyien'gagement het'endlessly ejected from the nozzleislotfl:isrpassediiintorthe :spacei45 defined between thelowerssurface of;the

n5 angle away iro 5'6 al l d "-Sl1b$li&fltiQe HY THCIOSSIi the said=zone andtpositioned:ifor jection 'into"saidtzone 'countertthemdirectienofi blanket 'trave passing steam to eal g 2; 1 Improvement'raccording':tomclaim 1. in which i there are additioriallyiincliidedimeanscroreremoving*steam andmoridensate rromicthetentrancesend 3. mprovement according to claim 1=flinawhich said la'st mentionedmeansi include= a'listeam chest, ameans for passing steam 'fromsaidchest rtotsa'id nozzle oi ifiee'emeans and a; perforate pip xfOl a gdistr ibuting steam ubstantially 1 u-niforml :endless blanket 8acand1theupper surface of' the .face plate lrfia; :being i thenceexhaustedrintorthe suction.chest 535 'by wayiof therperforations 333601,ithereridlesslyrrmoving carrier la. Therbalan'cetof :the steam''whichchas' notcpassed intotthesuction Thus; as "be sseenrfrom rthe:"foregoing the invention? is essentiaflly t'concernedewithiiani imasteaming zone alongwthe rpathtofttraveliofsaidblanketlandxmeansiordrawing steam from said zone through a web oftextile material continuchamber :is' rremoved" by Way ofthes:opening:e39 w g m$m part riside chest 13'! and pipe ;7whi'ch: isrundemslight uvacuum oftabout 1-2 lbs;s'below atmospheric.

1170 ti l-in said chest;" thewzpenforations "innrsaid pipe'beingpositioned todirect steam upwardsland away 'from" -the entrance end "of-said means for passin'g steam to said'ori ce'rneans.

ln a fdecating maeh-ine'; or the blanket and endless carrier' typehaving 'an extennailyrperiorate hollowed cylin'derr'means"ior rotatingsaid cylirider means ior apply-ing uctiontto the -interi-or f elid'dylii-ider -andblanket running the 'per-iphery onsaid cy-lihder'adaptedto' hold--a" band'-' of textile r material in engagement==withthe periphery of saidcylinder, the improvement which comprisesnn arcuateiace i pl'ate substantially concentric with saidl cylinder,

."DIGVEIIIBIlt'ZiI'l 1a decating'machine'iof :tthe blanket/ i a g z i -se at i e qbl'anketwexit and endless. carrier rtype 'having meansrdefining end s "said race platwextending longitudirially said' cyl-inder ja eent the exterior Of Slid blalnket afiw pas ened for 'steamejection onto ears face plate counter-"the direction of rlblanket u v rap d y a d w Said n ytravel ai'i 'd'substantiaily at an 'angle 'awaydromand blanket, the vsaid. improvement primarilynrelating to the steamsupplying means torsaid zone and comprising steam nozzle-orifice meansat and substantially across the blanket eX-it end of said 'saill blanketarfrl rrreans for supplying steam to es'aidworifice.

5. lmprovement acoording to claim 4 in whi'ch said nozzle-orifice meansare positioned for steam zone and positioned for steam ejectionintorsaid 4oiiejetioninsflbstajntiql-ywatwssafdwoiiifice :Substa zonecounter the direction of blanket travel-:iand '-substantia1ly at anangle away from saidablanket e rand meanswfor passing steaml-to saidorifice. 'iIf,

within the preferred embodiment of the invention, the path of travelofsaid-"blanket is one defined by a substantially:cylindrical carrierthe face is aisubstantiallyarcuateztace platetconformring to said pathof traveband' the saidnsteam nozzlemrifice is substantially positionedfor steam ejection onto said face plate counter the direction of blankettravel and substantially at an angle about tangential to the path ofblanket travel at about the orifice. H

The method in accordance with my invention is essentially concerned withan improvement in the decating of webs of textile material whichincludes continuously passing a web of textile material held between asteam permeable blanket and endlessl moving carrier, along a steamingzone with said blanket in contact with said zone, the said improvementcomprising directing a jet of substantially dry steam into said zonefrom and substantially across the blanket exit end thereof in adirection counter the direction of blanket travel and away from saidblanket and applying suction to said jet of steam through said blanketand web.

I claim:

1. In a decating machine of the blanket and endless carrier type havingmeans defining a steaming zone along the path of travel of said blanketand means for drawing steam from said zone through a web of textilematerial continuously transported by and between said carrier andblanket, the improvement in steam supplytial'ly tangential to the pathof blankefitravel.

"1 6. improvement according to claim 5* in whi'ch thereareradditiorially included- =means for removing steam and condensatefrom the blanket entranc e erid of said face pla-te.

mprovement according -to *claim 6 -in-- which i team supplying-meansinclude asteam-chest, the top of which is formed by at least a portionof said face plate, means for passing steam from said chest to saidorifice means and means for uniformly distributing steam to within saidchest. 8. In a decating machine of the blanket and endless carrier typehaving an externally perforate hollowed cylinder, means for rotatingsaid cylinder, means for applying suction to the interior of saidcylinder and a blanket running against a part of the periphery of saidcylinder adapted to hold a band of textile material in engagement withthe periphery of said cylinder, the improvement which comprises a steamchest, an arcuate face plate substantially concentric with said cylinderand forming with at least a part thereof a top for said steam chest,means at the blanket exit end of said face plate substantially defininga lip overlapping said face plate in spaced relation thereto, to formbetween the lip end and the face plate surface a steam nozzleorificesubstantially extending across said face plate longitudinally to saidcylinder, the inner surface of said overhanging lip being inclinedtowards its end substantially at an angle away from said blanket, meansvfor passing steam from said chest into the space between said lip andsaid face plate and means for supplying steam to ing means for said zonecomprising steam nozzlesubstantially uniformly W n Sa d Chest.

r 9. Improvement according to claim--1 in which said inner lip surfaceis inclined towards its end substantially at an angle about tangentialto the path of blanket travel at about said orifice.

10. Improvement according to claim 9 in which there are additionallyprovided means for removing steam and condensate from the blanketentrance end of said face plate and substantially in cluding a lipmember adjacent said blanket and overlying said face plate at said endto define therewith a steam and condensate exit slot.

11. Improvement according to claim 10 in which said means for supplyingsteam to the space between the nozzle-orifice lip and. the armate faceplate include perforations in said face plate adjacent the end thereofunder said lip, and in which said means for supplying steam to saidchest include a perforate pipe longitudinally extending through saidchest, the perforations of said pipe being positioned to direct steamupwards and away from said perforations for passing steam to under saidlip.

12. Improvement according to claim 11 in which said lip defining meanscomprise an angle member, one arm of which forms said lip and the otherof which is slidably secured to said chest for variable adjustment ofsaid nozzle orifice.

13. In the method of decating Webs of textile material which includescontinuously passing a web of textile material held between a steampermeable blanket and endlessly moving carrier, along a steaming zone inblanket contact therewith, the improvement comprising directing highvelocity substantially dry steam into said zone substantially across theblanket exit end thereof in a direction counter to the direction ofblanket travel and away from said blanket and applying suction to saidsteam through said blanket and web.

14. The improvement according to claim 13 in which said steam isdirected into said zone counter to the direction of blanket traveldefined by a substantially cylindrical carrier and substantially at anangle about tangential to said direction at about said exit end, and inwhich excess steam including any condensate formed is continuous- 1yremoved from the blanket entrance end of said zone in substantiallytangential direction relative to the blanket travel direction at aboutsaid entrance end.

15. In the method of decating webs of textile material the improvementwhich comprises continuously passing a web of textile material, heldbetween a steam permeable blanket and endlessly moving carrier, alongand in blanket contact with a first substantially wet steam zone and afollowing second substantially dry steam zone of higher temperature thansaid first zone, continuously passing wet steam through said first zone,continuously passing high velocity substantially dry steam through saidsecond zone counter to the direction of blanket travel, and at least atthe blanket exit end in a direction away from said blanket, andsupplying suction to said zones through said blanket and web.

16. Method according to claim 15 in which said high velocity steam isdirected into said second zone counter to the direction of blankettravel defined by a substantially cylindrical carrier and substantiallyat an angle about tangential to said direction at about the blanket exitend for said second zone, in which said wet steam is passed through saidfirst zone substantiall counter to the direction of blanket travel, andin which excess steam including any condensate formed is continuouslyremoved from the blanket entrance end of said first zone insubstantially tangential direction relative to the blanket traveldirection at about said end.

GEORGE I-IAEBERLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,494,808January 17, 1950 GEORGE HAEBERLIN It is hereby certified that errorsappear in the printed specification of the above numbered patentrequiring correction as follows:

Column 1, lines 48 and 49, strike out the words for the decating ofcontinuously movingdwebs of textile materia column 7, line 1, for theclaim reference numeral 1" rea 8;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these correctionstherein that the same may conform to the record of the case in thePatent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of May, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents.

